


The Princess and The Dove

by RosaRRed



Category: Princess Tutu
Genre: Princess Tutu Fanfiction, The Prince and The Raven
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-24
Updated: 2015-12-31
Packaged: 2018-04-23 05:57:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4865597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosaRRed/pseuds/RosaRRed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once upon a time, there was a man who died... there was a prince, there was a raven, there was a knight, there was a girl, there was a duck...</p>
<p>Once upon a time, there was a raven princess. She was locked away in a dark forest out of fear. One day, a prince came to save her from her darkness. The two fell in love and were to marry. But a great tragedy befell, forcing the two out of the story. Now, the princess is left without a prince and a place to call her own.</p>
<p>The Prince is without a heart.<br/>The Princess is left forgotten.</p>
<p>Now Mira, once called Princess Miralell, and once before called Raven Manifest, is now without a place in the town. She's placed by Rue's side with little memory of her life before the town. A strange bracelet is also placed in her safekeeping. What fate awaits our princess? Will her prince return to her? Or will her tale die with the town, leaving her forgotten forever?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Duck and The Princess

_Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms. One kingdom was full of happy people. This kingdom had a handsome and brave Prince. The other kingdom was full of evil ravens. This kingdom had a beautiful but hidden Princess._

_One day, our young Prince found the place the Princess was hidden. Just like another story, the two fell in love. And just like the other story, fate tore them apart._

_The Prince has no memory of his Princess._

_The Princess still loves and desires her Prince._

_Will fate be kind to our young pair? Or will she forever keep them apart?_

\-----

The birds sing their song early this morning. The sun isn't even seen in the sky past the morning fog. A young girl sits up in her bed. Long, wavy brown hair cascades down her back like caramel. Delicate legs push her to stand, walking her towards a window.

Deep violet eyes peer past the curtains covering the glass. She looks around before spotting a flurry of birds to her left. She gives a gentle smile, knowing why the birds were there.

She raises her right hand to the chest, a bracelet hanging from her wrist. The band was thick, crested with silver designs carved into it. The centerpiece of this bracelet was a bright red gemstone, in the shape of a teardrop. Pearls circled the gemstone, smaller red gems decorating the sides.

She pulled her hand from the curtain as she heard her roommate stir awake. She turned around to face her companion. Lady Rue was kind enough to let her stay with her here in the dormitories.

She couldn't remember much of it, but Rue found her a long time ago. She was aimlessly wandering around in a strange royal blue cloak. Then, this tiny child found her and brought her home. She remembered her life clearly, yet her arrival to this town was foreign to her.

Well... she couldn't say clearly. She remembered images, but not the details or the meanings behind them. She just knew... she had them. She has a faint idea of what her life was like before...

Who was she kidding. She couldn't remember the slightest hint of her past. Just blurred images.

Rue gave her many new things. She gave her newer, simpler clothes. She gave her a home to live in. She even enrolled her into an academy where she could dance to her hearts content. She even gave her a new name...

"Mira? What are you doing up so early?" Rue tiredly asked. The girl yawned shortly after she spoke.

"I just heard the birds..." Mira said quietly, glancing to the window.

"And you went to watch them attack the room down the hall." Rue finished, rubbing her eyes. Mira just nodded, folding her hands in front of her. Both girls wore simple white nightgowns, given to them by the academy.

"Honestly, what am I to do with you." Rue sighed. Mira looked up at the comment, not understanding why Rue said it. The raven-haired girl got out of bed, grabbing a hairbrush.

"You're so curious about everything. It's going to get you hurt one of these days." She continued, running the brush through her thick hair. Mira mumbled an apology, looking at the floor.

Rue often guided Mira around, telling her what to do and what not to do. Mira just aimlessly followed, not knowing any better. She owed to much to Rue, so she didn't protest.

Once Rue was done brushing her hair, Mira took the brush. As she ran it through her hair, she heard the bells start to chime. It was the waking bell. Though it sounds like somebody didn't know the time. Rapid footsteps dashed past their door and quickly faded away.

"She does this every so often." Rue commented, pulling her nightgown off. Mira just continued to brush her hair. Her bracelet glinted slightly as the sun began to rise. She sat on the bed, closing her eyes as she thought of her past.

Bright lights danced over closed eyelids. Faces faded in and out of her sight, not really clearing up. She did remember black feathers very clearly. Feathers and a red drink... no, blood. It was blood.

"Mira?" The girl opened her eyes again. Rue was pulling her uniform on, looking at her. "What are you thinking about?"

Mira didn't answer right away. She stared at Rue for a moment before looking at her bracelet.

"I'm thinking about my past... before you saved me." She answered quietly. She heard Rue sigh before footsteps made their way over to her.

"Trust me on this. They're just dreams..." Rue made Mira look at her, red eyes boring into her own, "and they're nothing more."

"Yes..." Mira knew that Rue was lying. She knew that these memories were very much real. Still, as long as Rue believed that Mira believed her, she wouldn't bother her about it.

Rue smiled and stood up, heading over to the dresser. "Now, let's get you dressed. You're in the Ballet Department for your first half of the day, and in the Art Department for the second half."

Mira nodded dully and stood up. She slid her nightgown off, revealing more of her porcelain, smooth skin. Right over her heart was a small scar. It was shaped almost in the form of a wing. She walked over to where Rue was standing, taking the clothing that was held out to her.

Once she was dressed, Rue made her sit down in a chair. She grabbed the brush and ran it through caramel locks yet again. This time, she parted two pieces of her hair to leave hanging by her face. She reached to the side and picked up a simple headwrap.

Golden beads decorated two bands that held together evenly spaced coral stones. Rue carefully placed it on her head, over her hair. She grabbed pieces of the hair in the front and brought them around, tucking them just slightly into the band. She then took the rest, rolled it in, and tucked it over the band, concealing it with the hair. The two parts in the front naturally waved and curled by her face.

Rue smiled, pleased with her work. She handed Mira a mirror, letting the girl admire the hairstyle. Mira smiled and stood up.

"It looks beautiful, Rue." She said, setting the mirror down. Rue giggled and set the brush down as well. She knew that Mira liked things to be simple. It was easier for her.

It was also why her schedule alternated like it did. One for one half, and another for the other half. It allowed her to keep her interest up so she wasn't bored with anything.

Both girls grabbed their messenger bags and made their way down the halls. They stopped by the cafeteria to eat a quick breakfast. Rue had a biscuit with jam, while Mira simply ate a single apple.

Once they had eaten, they left with the other students to head to the academy. Mira stayed close to Rue's side, not once straying away from her. The image made by the two could be applied to another pair that went to the academy. Though it was a lot more relaxed and lenient.

Speaking of the other pair...

"Oh, good morning Mytho." Rue said, smiling happily as she walked over to her boyfriend. Mira stopped walking, looking up in slight alarm. Standing there were two other students in the Ballet Department.

Her eyes firstly fell to the boy standing alone. Long green hair was pulled into a ponytail as dark green eyes scowled silently. He was rather handsome, once you got past that scowl of his. Senior Fakir wasn't really a cheerful student. Not in public, at least.

Her eyes then traveled towards the boy Rue mentioned. Senior Mytho was staring blankly down at Rue, not really protesting to her hold. He was truly handsome, even with his snow white hair. What caught the attention of most was his amber eyes. The eyes that always looked so lonely.

Mira's hand immediately covered her bracelet. She remained completely silent, letting Rue and Mytho walk away. It left her and Fakir alone with the other students walking around them.

"What's with that look." It sounded more like a statement than a question. Mira looked at Fakir, who was staring at her. The scowl softened a bit, but it didn't fully vanish.

"Look? What look?" She asked, starting to walk again. Fakir just snorted and walked beside her. She knew exactly what look he was talking about.

It was a secret that, as far as she knew, only Rue knew about. She knew who Mira really was. She had a feeling that Fakir had an idea. If he did, he wasn't outright saying it.

She and Fakir had an...  _odd_  friendship. Well, in her eyes it was a friendship. To him it was probably a tolerance. The girl never really did anything that could hurt him or, more importantly, Mytho. She just followed each of them around. Just like Mytho, she didn't really have a place here in Gold Crown Town.

"...Why do you follow her around?" The question surprised Mira. She looked up at Fakir, who was staring ahead. When she didn't answer him, he continued to explain, "Rue, I mean. Why do you follow her around?"

Mira clenched her jaw, forcing herself not to give a snide remark.  _Probably the same reason Mytho follows you_ ; that's what she wanted to say. Still, she didn't want him to hate her. She had few friends after all.

"...I owe her for saving my life." She replied simply. Fakir blinked in surprise and looked down at her. Saving her life? He didn't ask about it. His eyes then moved to her bracelet. She never took it off, not for anything. She even refused to take it off for ballet practice.

He then looked back to her face. Her expression was distant, violet eyes dulling slightly. She was beautiful, and had a few admirers. She didn't seem to express herself that much, though. She just kept quiet and followed the orders of him or Rue. Just like Mytho.

Wait...  _just like Mytho?_  Why did that come to mind.

He never got a chance to ask. They both heard the warning bell and immediately broke into a sprint. With a quick goodbye, they parted ways to get changed for class. Mira hurried to the changing room, opening the little locker which held her personalized outfit.

Mira carefully bandaged each of her toes. This helped prevent blisters and less chances of injuries. She then pulled on a plain black leotard. She kissed her bracelet again before pulling a knitted, black sweater on over it. It stopped just above her midriff. She sat on the bench, grabbing a pair of lavender, capezio toe shoes.

She grabbed a tiny bag, which inside held special ribbons, elastic bands, toe guards, extra bandages, and a special type of powder that went on the toes and heels of the shoes. She hurried to sew the elastic and ribbons to the shoes.

Ballet toe shoes were, essentially, tools for the dancers. By the end of the day or performance, the shoes are worn out and thrown away. Each shoe was hand made by a tailor, each one slightly different than the last. If there is a slight slip-up, the dancer will know immediately.

Mira slid on a pair of white tights, pulling out places that seemed wrinkled. She bends the shoes, checking the vamp to make sure it wasn't loose or bent. She then slid the toe shoes onto her feet. She carefully tied the binding ribbons around her ankles. She rolled her feet around, getting them used to the ribbon. She then pulled the elastic in the front, getting it nice and snug around her feet.

Once they were on, she pulled on a pair of black ballet socks. They covered her ankles, like leg warmers. She made sure her hair was secure in the headwrap before grabbing a towel and hurrying to class.

Now, why does she have  _pointe_ shoes if the advanced class is already filled? It was quite simple. She had private lessons, per the insistence of Mr. Cat. He couldn't expand the advanced class, but he refused to let her talent go unnurtured. So, he found her a teacher so she could learn and grow as a student and a dancer.

She walked into the classroom, closing the door behind her. It looks like her teacher wasn't here yet. Still, she set her towel down and went to the bar. As she stretched, she heard the door open.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry!" Mira stopped and looked up. Standing there was a girl with bright orange hair. It was pulled into a long braid, and a lone strand stood up atop her head. Icy blue eyes looked at her in awe, freckles dusted across her round face. She appeared to be wearing the school uniform. Was she a student here?

Oh right, she apologized... but what for?

"May I inquire what you're apologizing for?" Mira questioned, tilting her head. The girl blushed in embarrassment and closed the door behind her.

"U-Um, well, I was assigned cleaning duty for this part of today. I-I didn't realize anybody was in here." She explained. Mira then noticed the girl was holding a broom. She didn't appear to be lying.

"You aren't bothering me. Feel free to clean as you like." She stated. She went back to her stretching like nothing happened. The girl blinked a few times before smiling and starting to clean the room.

The door opened for a second time that hour. This time, a short old woman entered. She wore a simple dress with a worn red shawl over her shoulders. She smiled at her pupil, then gave a scornful eye to the other girl.

The girl shrank and squeaked from the gaze. Mira walked in front of her, blocking her from view.

"Madame Marie, I granted her permission to clean the room. She is of no bother to us." She stated, unknowingly jabbing at the girl's feelings. The girl leaned against her broom, staring at the two. The old woman looked at Mira before sighing.

"Your kindness is going to be the end of you, child." She stated, flicking the girl in the forhead. Mira made a tiny noise of pain and rubbed the area. Madame Marie looked past her to the cleaning girl.

"You. What is your name." It was more of a demand than a question.

"O-Oh! It's Duck!" She answered immediately. She bowed in respect to the two, who just stared at her.

"Very well, Miss Duck. If you finish cleaning this room before Miss Branwen is done stretching and practicing the basics, you may stay to observe her practice." Madame Marie said, smiling at her. Duck's eyes seemed to shine before she hurriedly went back to work.

Mira smiled before going back to her stretching... again. Madame Marie made comments here and there about her stance or positioning. Mira rested a leg on the bar, stretching it out to loosen her legs up a bit. She did the same with her other leg.

The entire time she was doing this, Duck was hurriedly cleaning the room. She really wanted to watch a private lesson first hand. Even Rue didn't get something like this. It was truly an honor to even get an offer.

"I'm done!" She declared, resting the broom by the door. Madame Marie smiled and nodded, gesturing for her to have a seat. Duck scurried to sit down, practically beaming in happiness. She was really letting her watch!

"Alright, today we're going to be going over the Black Swan Solo." Madame Marie stated, Mira nodding and rolling her shoulders. As Madame Marie began to rattle off the story of Odile, the Black Swan, Mira made her away to the center of the room.

She stood  _en pointe_ , smiling as she held her arms out to her sides. She then began to  _pirouette_ , her leg rising to her knee then finally extending out behind her. Duck watched in awe as Mira practiced the dance.

_"She's so beautiful... and graceful."_  Duck thought, silently wishing she could dance as well as the girl before her.  _"She almost looks like a princess..."_

Occassionally Madame Marie would stop Mira and give advice on a certain part or gesture. The woman was very stern with her words, but acted more as a guiding mother than a coach.

Mira struggled after a while. She was looking tired, but didn't once stop for a break. She went on and kept her head up high. Duck admired how she didn't stop. Though she was worried about her. Was it normal for  _en pointe_  students to push themselves like this?

She had a feeling that it was. Mira was currently hopping across the room on one foot, her other leg jutting out with each bounce. She was almost back to the center when her foot suddenly slipped out from under her.

"Watch out!" Duck cried, trying to scramble to her feet. Mira closed her eyes tightly, waiting to hit the hard ground. The impact never came. In fact, she landed on something soft.

She slowly opened her eyes. She was still above the ground, thank heavens. Duck was barely on her feet, staring in surprise. In the moment, Madame Marie had dashed to her pupils aid. She had a firm arm around Mira's waist and effectively preventing her fall.

"I think this is a good stopping point." She said, smiling kindly to her.

Mira got on her feet, nodding as she panted heavily. Duck walked over with her towel, holding it out. Madame Marie nodded as she folded her arms behind her.

"Take the rest of today off, Miss Branwen." She instructed. Mira nodded and bowed to her before exiting the room with Duck.

"You danced so beautifully!" Duck praised, walking beside Mira.

"You think so?" Mira asked, heading to the changing room.

"Well yeah! I mean, you even get private lessons! You're really talented." She went on, trying to mimic one of her pirouettes. Mira smiled a bit at this notion. It was like watching a child imitate their idol.

"I'm certain you're able to dance just as beautifully." Mira commented. Duck stumbled a bit, not expecting a compliment like that.

"Y-You really think so?" She asked, watching her for a moment.

"Of course. Anybody can dance beautifully as long as they're happy." Mira entered the changing room, setting the towel on a bench. Duck watched the door closed, her heart racing a bit.

_"She really is a princess..."_  She thought, smiling happily. The school's bell rang again and Duck jolted in alarm. "Ah! I'm gonna be late!" She ran off as fast as her legs would carry her.

Mira heard the girl cry out and just giggled to herself. The smile and laughter quickly faded. She stared down at her feet, a distant look on her face.

She never displayed that much emotion before. She didn't want to risk... no. Don't think about it. You're Mira and you're a ballet prodigy... right?

She shook her head and dressed herself in the school uniform. It was lunch time now. She could go find Rue and eat with her. Yes, she had a plan of action. Once her black shoes were on her feet, she made her way towards the mess hall.

She stood in the center of the open arch-ways. Violet eyes looked around for her friend, but saw no sign of her. No, this wasn't right. She was supposed to find Rue and eat with her. That's what they always did.

"Hey." A familiar voice made her turn around. She was face-to-face with Fakir, who was holding a small paper bag. "Rue left to eat with Mytho."

"Oh..." Mira felt stupid. Of course she'd eat with Mytho. She looked at the ground, gently gripping her bracelet. She rolled it back and forth, not really making an effort to talk.

Fakir watched her for a moment before sighing heavily. Before she had the chance to react, he grabbed her arm. It was a firm hold, one she couldn't really pull away from. But he didn't grip hard enough to hurt her. He then lead her out of the building.

Mira was visibly surprised by the suddenly grasp. She didn't voice it though. She just stared at the back of the green-haired male. Where was he taking her? She didn't really mind. It was something to do. Someting to ponder about later.

The two were soon in the local garden. Many kinds of flowers were in perfect bloom. Mira blinked in surprise yet again. Why would Fakir bring her here? More questions filled her thoughts as he lead her towards one of the many tree's in the area.

Looking at it, Mira concluded that it was a Tulip Tree. It got its name from the tulip-shaped leaves. It was fairly large, so that meant it was fairly old as well.

Fakir only let go of her once they were under the tree.

"Sit down." He ordered, setting the paper bag down. Mira did as he said, staring at him. He simply sat beside her and leaned against the tree. He opened the paper bag and pulled out two halves of a sandwich. He extended one half to her, looking at her expectantly.

Mira stared at it before carefully taking it from him. He was... sharing his lunch with her? Why? Did he pity her because Rue left her alone? ...He probably pitied her. Yes, that was it. It was pity that caused him to bring her all the way out here.

"You're making that face again." His dry comment pulled the girl from her thoughts. She looked at him and noticed that the scowl he usually wore was... almost completely gone. It looked more concerned and curious. How strange.

"What face?" She echoed quietly, staring at him. He stared at her a moment more before closing his eyes with a sigh.

"Idiot. You really are just like him."

"Like who?"

"Just eat. I don't want you going hungry because you couldn't find Rue."

"Oh, alright."

The two ate in silence, with the occassional word from Fakir when Mira started to get lost in her thoughts. That really was a problem he'd have to mention to Rue later. The girl was completely dependent on her. Routine kept her healthy and, most of all, safe.

Why was he so focused on keeping her safe as well? No, deep down, he knew why. He knew why this girl was always getting lost in her thoughts. It was the same reason she kept messing with her bracelet. She was trying to remember a past that she shouldn't.

Just like Mytho.

 


	2. Gedächtnis

The next day, word of Mytho's injury spread like wildfire. Mira didn't run into Miss Duck today, either. Rue didn't seem to care about any of it. Fakir didn't say anything either.

Mira wanted to ask them if he was okay, but was whisked away to the Art Department. She sighed heavily as she made her way to the drawings class. At least here she had one other... companion. She didn't know if they were actually friends or not.

The drawing class was fairly small, but it was easier for the teachers to guide their students. Mira sat down by the window, pulling out a drawing pad from her messenger's bag.

As she opened it to a blank page, she heard students whispering already of Mytho's absence.

"Did you hear Senior Mytho got hurt?"

"What, really?"

"Yeah, I hear he twisted his ankle."

"No way, did he really?"

"He must have, otherwise he'd be attending class."

She clenched her jaw tightly. She just wished that they would all shut up already. She placed the pad on her easel, securing it into place. Maybe they would be quiet once they started drawing.

...No. In fact that spoke even louder than before. Mira took a deep breath to calm herself down. They're just gossiping. This was normal for students to do and nothing more. That's all it was.

Yet here she was. Sitting in her seat, completely engulfed with rage. How dare they speak of what they don't know? It's incredibly rude. She couldn't even draw a single line on her paper.

Before she had a chance to say anything, the teacher silenced them. At last, she could begin working. Mira focused on her project, her mind drifting off. Her hand moved of its own will. She didn't even know what she was drawing.

She was focused on a blurred memory. Two people were dancing in front of a garden. Was it a garden? She couldn't tell. She could only assume because of the bright colors around the pair. She heard no voices and saw no faces, but the dancing was clear to her.

It was a boy and a girl dancing a  _pas de deux_. She recognized the ballet movements easily. The duet was beautiful, and even full of emotion that normally wasn't shared between performers. They never strayed too far from one another. As if afraid that something you rip them apart any second.

"Oh my-" A light, timid voice snapped Mira from her memories. Her hand stopped moving, the pencil lifting from the page. Mira's vision cleared and she looked at what she'd drawn. It was a messy, but clear sketch of two people dancing. There were no faces on these people. Just like in the memory. "This is very different from your usual work."

Mira then looked to her left. Standing there was a slender girl with short green hair. Blue eyes admired the sketch on the page. She adjusted the large round glasses that sat on her face. Ah, this was her friend, Malen.

"Malen, you startled me." Mira chastised lightly. The girl in question flushed faintly in embarrassment before apologizing a few times over.

"I-I'm sorry, but it surprised me since you normally draw birds or flowers." Malen explained, pointing to the messy sketch. It was true, Mira next to never drew life drawings of people. She always stuck to animals and plants, mainly birds and flowers.

She always liked to draw birds... and flowers.

"Yes, I do suppose it is... different." Mira said, looking back to the sketch. Though what was bothering her the most was the faces, or lack thereof. Who was even dancing? Was it her parents? Siblings? Or just two random strangers?

She caught herself fidgeting with her bracelet again. She drew her hand back, resting it at her side. Such a strange habit.

If only she realized that she touched it when she thought about her past as well.

"So, why don't they have faces?" Malen finally asked. Mira stared a moment more before closing her eyes.

"Because they're masking how they really feel."

"That's... really insightful."

Mira didn't have the heart to tell her it was because she couldn't fucking remember.

\-----

Malen was kind enough to walk her to the mess hall. For a second time, Mira couldn't find Rue. She looked all around, and even turned around in case Fakir showed up again. He wasn't in sight either.

It was like all of her friends were leaving her for no named reason.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Malen asked. Mira looked at the girl, not realizing how sad she looked.

"What, what do you mean?" She seemed to be asking that a lot lately. Why wasn't she sense her own feelings?

"You look so sad. Mira, what's upsetting you?" Malen put a hand on the girl's shoulder. She was genuinely worried about the girl. She wasn't acting like her usual self.

Mira looked down at the ground, grasping her bracelet again. She didn't know what was upsetting her anymore. Was Rue mad at her? Is that why she wasn't waiting for her? She didn't know what she did to make her mad at her.

"I... I don't know anymore." She admitted. She didn't deal to well from change considering her life in this town had been strictly a routine. Right down to the time on the clock. Now her routine was being pulled apart.

Her routine was her life. Her reason to get up in the morning... or was it? She didn't know anymore. It was what Rue told her. Yes, Rue gave her the routine.

_"A life without routine isn't a life worth living!" Rue said, waving a finger at Mira._

_"It isn't?" She asked, tilting her head in surprise._

_"Yes! A routine is something you can rely on without fail!" Rue continued, waving an arm about to make her point._

But now her routine...

Mira's vision suddenly began to blur and she stumbled back a bit. Why did she feel so dizzy? Her stomach churned and she felt her throat tighten up a bit. She covered her mouth, not hearing Malen saying her name. She didn't even hear her call for help.

Her eyes began to roll backwards and she lost her balance. She felt herself falling but... Somebody caught her. She never had a chance to look.

She blacked out shortly after.

\-----

When she woke up, she was in the infirmary. She could faintly hear the hushed whispers of a few people.

"What do you mean she fainted!?" One whisper-yelled. A sharp voice with a hint of regalia to it. That was most likely Rue.

"I mean what I said! She fainted!" One retorted just as quietly. A timid voice that sounded almost afraid to speak up, but refused to back down easily. Definitely Malen, given the context of the conversation.

"Would you two stop it? You're going to wake her up." Another snapped in a bristled tone. That wasn't too hard of a guess. A stern voice with an obvious tone of authority? That could only belong to Fakir. Why was Fakir there anyways? Wasn't he supposed to look after Mytho?

Mira remained laying down, closing her eyes in case anybody looked down to her. Had she fainted? As she went over her own memory, that was the only conclusion she could come too. She definately fainted alright... but why had she? Surely she wasn't that torn up about her routine going awry.

"Are you three done squabbling like pigeons?" Another voice said. This was new. The voice was annoyed, definately. It was female, and also carried a tone of authority. It almost reminded her of Fakir... almost.

"And just who are you?" Rue demanded. She sounded angry...

"I'm the girl who was there because you weren't." The other voice said. They sounded even more angry than Rue. Silence followed the statement. Mira could only guess that Rue was feeling guilty for leaving her alone.

Deciding that enough was enough, Mira made a noise and started to sit up. Malen hurried over to the girl. She carefully leaned her into a sitting position. Rue walked over as well, putting a hand on her arm. Fakir remained distant, but did look over to make sure Mira was alright.

Mira opened her eyes, looking first to Rue. The girl smiled in relief to her. Mira's eyes then traveled to Malen. The girl also looked extremely relieved to see her alright. Mira looked up to Fakir, who just nodded to her. Then she looked at the other guest in the room.

Standing there was a girl roughly Fakir's height. Long, dark brown hair laid flat against her back as stormy grey eyes stared her down. She, too, looked relieved to see Mira okay. Though it looked more... personal. Wait, she was wearing the school uniform!

"Thank the majesty." The girl whispered. She lowered her head, as if in a bow, before exiting the room. Fakir looked at the door, his interest peaked by that statement.

"I'm sorry for not being there at the mess hall." Rue apologized to Mira, gently removing the headwrap. Mira's hair fell down and out of the bun it was pulled into. Rue hugged Mira, gently petting her head. For some reason it always calmed Mira down. It was like soothing a scared animal.

Mira just leaned against her and closed her eyes. At least she got an apology. They were rare from somebody like Rue. Malen, now sure that her friend was going to be okay, left to go home.

"I'm going to go check on Mytho." Fakir said, heading for the door. Rue sent a glare to him. At least he stayed until she woke up. Now it was just Mira and Rue in the room.

Both girls sat in silence, content with the presence of the other. Mira slowly opened her eyes. Once again, she noticed her hand was gripping her bracelet. This time she didn't pull it away. She just... brushed her thumb over the teardrop jewel.

Rue pulled back and gently held her face.

"What's bothering you, Mira?" She asked, "You've never fainted over a faulty routine before."

That's right, her routine changed many times before. That's why she didn't understand why she fainted today.

Mira lowered her gaze to her bracelet. Even now, her eyes had a distant look to them. Her lips were in a thin line. She was afraid to speak, fearing that she wouldn't be able to give a proper answer.

Rue stared at her before also looking at the bracelet. She narrowed her eyes. She couldn't possibly be trying to remember... could she?

"Listen to me, Mira," Rue made her look at her, "you needn't worry about such things. They will only bring more change to your life."

Mira tensed at the thought. As stated before, she didn't do well with change. Not one bit. Would remembering really... really change things? Of course it would. But would it be good change or bad change?

_"Good change, of course!"_

Mira jumped at the sound of a voice. She covered her mouth, forcing herself not to scream. Rue blinked and watched her look around.

"What, what is it?" She asked. Mira looked at her, eyes wide with confusion. She didn't hear it?

"Y-You didn't hear somebody..." She trailed off, looking around again. Rue huffed and crossed her arms.

"I didn't hear anything."

"B-But..."

"I'm telling you, it's nothing."

Mira chewed on the inside of her lip, looking down again. She was certain she heard a voice... but...

For some reason, it sounded like Mytho's voice.

\-----

Once she was released from the infirmary, Rue lead Mira back to the dorms. She insisted that she get some rest. She thought that if she got enough rest that she would feel better.

So that's how Mira ended up laying in her bed, already dressed for bed. Rue told her that she was going back to the school for some extra practice. Mira just nodded and looked to the window.

Tick... tock... tick... tock...

Mira slowly looked to the wall across from her bed. The wall clock counted away each second with a little "tick" of its hand. Her eyes watched the little hand tick round and round.

Slowly, her eyes began to slip shut. Yes, sleep would do her some good...

\-----

"No! No, don't hurt him!"

Mira looked up in surprise, flames roaring up in her vision. Ah, it was just a small campfire in a garden. As she looked around she could see it was a grand estate. She could see this with so much clarity. It scared her to see this detail. Was this...

_"You need to remember."_

There was that voice again. The strange, eager voice that told her that change was good. Was change really good? All it brought her was pain.

**"He's only going to hurt you! The light always blinds the darkness!"**

"You're wrong! He wouldn't ever hurt me!"

**"You're so naive! He's the reason we're all out here! If you have even a hint of darkness in you, you're thrown from the Kingdom!"**

Mira watched a tall, elderly woman drag somebody towards a wall of thorns. No, she was dragging a boy. The boy was doing everything he could to try and get out of her grasp. Wait a second...

_"You can't ignore it forever."_

"NO! LET SIEGFRIED GO!" A little girl cried. Mira stood there, feeling her breathes growing shorter and more forced. That girl just said Siegfried... That was the name of the Prince.

"Gah!" Mira watched the old woman drop the boy- no... she dropped the Prince. The little girl ran over to him, hugging him tightly. The Prince wrapped his arms around her in return.

"That girl... who is that girl?" Mira asked, shaking as she feared the answer. She didn't want to know, yet she still asked. Who was she even asking? She watched the old woman throw her arms about, bright lights flashing from her hands. No... no that was magic.

She watched the magic land dangerously close to the two children. The Prince and the girl scrambled to their feet. They both watched the woman, too afraid to move further. Mira yelled out as a beam of magic started to head towards the children.

Time seemed to slow down in this moment. Mira watched with wide eyes as the Prince pulled the girl close to him. He then threw her aside at the last minute, the blast of magic hitting his heart.

Mira's eyes widened to dots as she saw a familiar red light fling out of his heart. The red light flew aside, bouncing off stone ground before landing by her feet. She started wheezing, staring down at the light.

It was a red gemstone in the shape of a teardrop.

_"You know what that is."_

Mira's breath caught in her throat as the memory faded away. She knew exactly what that gemstone was... and, now, who the voice belonged too. She slowly turned around, knowing what she was going to see.

Standing directly behind her was a glowing red light. It slowly took shape, one Mira thought she would never see. A transparent, red form of Mytho now stood there. He was dressed in a regal outfit, which was red like the rest of him. Though what really shook her was his face. He was staring at her, smiling- smiling in relief.

_"My Princess..."_

This time Mira really did scream.


	3. Revelations

Mira shot forward in bed, sweat dripping from her face. It was late at night as moonlight was seeping in from the window. She took long, shaky breaths as her heart thumped against her rib-cage. Was it just a... dream?

The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. After all, Prince Siegfried is just a mere person of fiction. There wasn't even royalty anymore. Not in this town or any other.

Yes, just a dream. Nothing more than that.

_"Why are you so scared?"_

Yet fate always seemed to kick her teeth in at the last minute.

Mira slowly turned her head towards the window. Sitting there was, in fact, the red ghost of Mytho. He was still smiling; he had quite some cheek. Mira stared at him with wide eyes. She wasn't still asleep, was she?

Mira reached up and yanked on her hair. She hissed quietly in pain. No, she was very much awake. The Mytho ghost didn't seem to like that very much. He darted over, grabbing her hand and pulling it down.

_"Don't hurt yourself like that!"_ He scolded, petting her head as if to make the pain go away. Mira jerked back from him, nearly falling off her bed. Thankfully she caught herself, and then was aware of the presence of Rue.

The other girl was still fast asleep. She was still in her humble dream land. How lucky of her, to sleep so easily.

Mira looked back to the Mytho ghost. Okay, first of all, she had to find something to call him. Mytho ghost was going to be strange. ...As if having a Mytho ghost wasn't strange enough already.

Mira got out of bed, slipping on a pair of slippers. She walked over to the dresser, going to open it. She stopped immediately when she saw her bracelet. The teardrop gemstone was **glowing.** It shined brightly like a lantern. It was a wonder how it didn't wake up Rue... and how it took her so long to even notice it.

She shook her head and opened a drawer. She sifted through the clothing items before finding a long robe. She pulled it out of the drawer, jumping as the Mytho ghost hovered beside her.

"Don't _do_ that!" She hissed quietly. The ghost blinked at her, not knowing why she was angry. She put the robe on, tying the sash around the middle. She looked at Rue one more time before leaving the room.

She pulled the sleeve down over the bracelet, dimming the glow. She looked around before heading down the hall. As she began to descend the stairs, she nearly ran into somebody heading up.

"Oh-! I'm so sorry!" The other person said. Mira recognized that voice.

"Miss Duck? Is that you?" She asked. There was a moment before-

"Miss Mira? What are you doing up so late?" Yes, that was her. Mira sighed and smiled a bit.

"I couldn't sleep. I was going to step out to clear my head... What are you doing awake, Miss Duck?" The other girl made a strange noise before nervously giggling.

"I, uh... I had to pee." She answered. Mira snickered a bit, covering her mouth. She couldn't really judge. Sometimes you can't control Mother Nature.

"Well, I suppose that's better than wetting the bed like a babe." Mira responded. Both girls shared a quiet laugh before Mira remembered why she was heading downstairs to begin with.

"I'm sorry, Miss Duck, but don't let me stop you from returning to bed. You sound dreadfully tired." Mira nodded her head to her. She stepped to the side and walked around her.

"Oh, yes, uh... good night, Miss Mira." Duck said, yawning as she walked upstairs. Mira glanced back to her before continuing on her way.

She went all the way to the fountain out front. She looked around nervously. No, somebody might see it. She hurried away from the dorms, unaware that somebody already saw her leave.

Mira ran down the streets, covering the bracelet with her hand. She didn't even know where she was even running to. She just knew she couldn't let anybody see her bracelet like this.

Suddenly she tripped over her own two feet. She gasped as she started to fall.

_"No!"_ Mira felt a pair of arms wrap around her middle. That's twice somebody has stopped her from falling down. Honestly she wished they just let her fall. Once, _just once!,_ let her eat dirt.

She looked down, transparent red arms carefully pulling her to her feet. She turned around, face-to-face with the Mytho ghost. He smiled again in relief to her. It was so strange to see him like this. No... it wasn't really Mytho. She knew that much... yet at the same time it **was** Mytho.

She narrowed her eyes at him, taking a step back. He looked confused by her actions and took a step towards her. He stopped when she took another step away.

"Who are you." She demanded, looking at her bracelet. "Why is my bracelet-"

_"I understand you have a lot of questions."_ The Mytho ghost said. He looked at his hands then back to her. _"Please, I mean you no harm. That is the last thing I would wish upon you, my Princess."_

"Stop calling me that! My name is Mira!" She snapped. The ghost flinched and nodded with a hurt look. Mira's heart twinged a bit in guilt. After all, he didn't do anything wrong.

She looked down to her bracelet again. It was still glowing that bright red. She flinched a bit as a bright red hand grabbed her own.

_"My Pri- ...Mira... please. I only want to protect you."_ He said softly. Mira looked at him and felt her face grow hot. He was staring at her with a gentle adoration. He reached up and gently caressed her cheek. Mira didn't pull away from him this time.

"Who are you?" She asked again, this time more softly. He smiled at her and put a hand over his heart... or where it would be.

_"I am the embodiment of Protection, and everything Prince Siegfried felt towards you. Shattered, but never really forgotten."_

\-----

Mira refused to attend class the next day. Rue tried to get her up, but was met with the darkest glare she could possibly get. For the first time, Mira scared her. That never happened. Reluctantly, she left the girl alone while she went to class.

Once Rue left the room, Mira sat up in her bed. Her hair fell over her face in waves. That didn't stop an annoyingly familiar red glow from flooding her vision. She parted her hair, glaring at the glowing shard.

"What do you want, Siegfried?" She asked. She decided to just call the shard by it's old name. Calling him "Protection" just felt... odd. So Siegfried it was. Speaking of that idjit...

He was sitting at the foot of her bed, smiling at her. Like a small child waiting for their parent to wake up. It was almost adorable. Almost.

_"Nothing."_ He answered, resting his cheeks on his hands. It smooshed his face a bit, the smile looking much more adorable. Mira gave him a deadpan stare before falling onto her back again.

"Of course it's nothing, it's always nothing, you just like to stare at me..." She mumbled, rattling off some nonsense as she waved her arms in the air. Siegfried tilted his head. His smile widened as the girl, _fully serious,_ called him a "fluffy haired emu."

Maybe if she ignored it... it would go away. Mira laid there a moment before lifting her head up again. Nope, he was still there. Smooshed face and everything. Why that cheeky little...

_"Why didn't you go to class today? Madame Marie doesn't like it when you skip."_ Siegfried pointed out, finally floating off her bed. How on Earth did he even know that?

She decided against even asking him. There wasn't a point in it. No doubt she'd get a cryptic answer instead of a straight one. Why did spirits have to be cryptic?

"Because I won't be able to focus with a ghost following me around." She said, laying her head back against her pillow. Well, she wasn't lying when she said that. She honestly wouldn't be able to focus if she was worrying about him.

Siegfried seemed to accept that answer. He nodded and sat in the air, crossing his legs. Mira stared at him for a moment before rolling over and hiding her face in her pillow. Nope, not dealing with this. Not today and not ever. She refused to accept that there was a glowing red ghost of Mytho sitting in her room at this very moment.

However, he refused to let her alone.

_"Mira, come on. Get up."_ Siegfried floated over, nudging her a few times. _"You can't stay in bed all day."_

"Wanna bet?" Mira grumbled.

_"Not particularly."_ He responded, looking to the window. Curiosity overtook him and he went over to it. He pulled the curtain back slightly, just enough to peer outside. He looked around, spotting a girl hiding behind the bushes of the girl's dorm.

_"Mira? Who is that girl hiding down there?"_

"What?" Mira sat up, pulling the blankets back. She stepped out of bed, shooing him away from the window. She, too, peered outside and saw that girl. "Oh... that's Miss Duck. Though, as to why she is hiding, I've no idea-"

Mira cut herself off as she looked across the courtyard to the boys dorm. Halfway climbed out of his window, Mytho was staring at a birds nest. His face remained ever emotionless.

"Be careful!" Mira said, opening her own window. Siegfried put a hand on her shoulder to make sure she didn't fall. She glanced back to him in worry. She wasn't stupid enough to climb out after him. ...Okay maybe she was when she wasn't paying attention. Which was all the time.

She turned her attention back out the window. She gasped in shock and horror, watching as Mytho dove out his window to catch a baby bird.

"Mytho, no!" She yelled, mindlessly going to jump towards him. If it weren't for Siegfried's hands already on her, she would have fallen to her death. He pulled her back in, looking just as worried as she did, if not more so.

To their surprise, a bright red light suddenly exploded in their vision. When it cleared, a beautiful _prima donna_ began leaping towards the falling prince. She turned in a _pirouette,_ twirling elegantly. Bright pink flowers suddenly bloomed across the ground, piling up to catch him.

Mira could only gape in shock, eyes wide in alarm. That couldn't really be... She hurried away from her window, pulling the curtains closed. Siegfried followed her with a look of equal distress.

_"Princess Tutu."_ He said, gaining the girl's attention, _"That was Princess Tutu... she looks different than before she first vanished, but... that was her."_

"First vanished?" Mira echoed, blinking in confusion. Siegfried nodded and sat in the air again, looking down.

_"If she's here, that means the story has begun again... Dark times are coming for Gold Crown Town. Just like before."_

"Just like before...?"

Siegfried didn't answer her this time. He just looked away in thought before vanishing back into the bracelet. Mira flinched slightly when the bright light darted right at her. She let out a quiet sigh and looked down at her wrist.

What did Siegfried mean _"just like before?"_ Would he ever tell her?

... _Could_ he tell her? She had no idea.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope to write more chapters soon for you all to read. I also have it posted to my Wattpad and will most likely update the story there first.
> 
> You can view it here: https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/50277445-the-princess-and-the-dove
> 
> I own nothing related to Princess Tutu or its characters.


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